The Ghost story regarding the sloop Martin Wynkoop, of old Kingston, New York, was one of the first articles I put up on the website back in 1998. Since then I've wanted to know more about her and what eventually happened to her. As it turns out, she eventually became the center of a 19 year old law suit! And even more interesting is the fact that she spent those 19 years at the bottom of the Hudson River. Go figure!

    More recently information revealing her owner has surfaced, indicating that he was Martin Wynkoop's half-second cousin, once removed. (Not particularly close, but a family member nevertheless.)

    The following comes from William C. De Witt's People's History of Kingston, Rondout and Vicinity: The First Capital of New York State (1820 to 1943), page 66:

    "Here follows descriptions of how the Port of Rondout and vicinity increased in population and growth as a result of these great changes.
    There may be repetitions but first there came into being two lines of sloops for freight and passengers to New York, one departing from Rondout, one from Twaalfskill and Wilbur. Each line had two sloops, and the round trip took two weeks each. Abram Hasbrouck, (Abraham Bruyn Hasbrouck, b. November 29, 1791-chw), as we stated at first owned the line from Rondout, his sloops being named Comptroller and Martin Wynkoop. Tappen and Co. ran the Convoy and Convention from Wilbur. The first regular steamers were the Congress and the Hudson, 1831. Anderson, Sleight & Co. also began to run a line of sloops and barges to New York. They bought the steamer Highlander. ..."

    So, now you know. Enjoy her adventures!

    All my best,

    Chris

The Sloop Martin Wynkoop.
     A ghost story of Old Kingston and the Hudson River.

Edwin S. Willets vs. The sloop Martin Wynckoop.
     From the New York Daily Times, Tuesday, 19 July, 1853, p. 6.

United States Courts, Decisions in Admiralty.
     Suit against the owners of the Sloop Martin Wynkoop, from the New York Times, Wednesday, 25 September, 1872, p. 2.